Strategies to Decrease the Cost of College #10 Expand Your “Circle of Safety”

Most colleges seek a geographically diverse incoming class. The reality – a majority of first-time freshman (approx. 60%) attend a college 100 miles from home. Understanding this dynamic and expanding your search area can yield significant cost savings. Why?

Let’s look at the University of Minnesota (UMTC):

Fall 2017 it received 43,000+ applications

The overall admit rate is 50% – it’s more selective than many realize

Average ACT score = 28

Average GPA = 3.71

Cost of Attendance (COA) 2018-2019 = $28,106

They offer merit scholarships to < 25% of incoming freshman

Compared to the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH):

Fall 2017 it received 4,454 applications

The overall admit rate is 81% – it’s not selective.

Average ACT score = 28

Average GPA = 3.79

Cost of Attendance Out of State (COA) 2018-2019 = $38,788

Merit Scholarships = Automatic:

At UAH a 30 ACT and 3.50 GPA nets you a four-year renewable full-tuition scholarship as a resident or non-resident student (a $21,378 annual savings for non-resident students). These same credentials are unlikely to earn a merit scholarship at the UMTC, in many cases making UAH the less expensive option. What about academics? The University of Alabama – Huntsville more than holds its own…

The objective is not to pick on the University of Minnesota – it is an excellent academic institution, merely to point out an instance when expanding your “Circle of Safety” can save on the cost of a college education.

Given the enrollment habits of students, many institutions have as many students from their home region as they want or can enroll. Thus, in certain instances expanding your circle of safety and looking for a college beyond a 100-mile radius from home, which fits your needs academically, socially, and financially may produce significant cost savings.

Perhaps:

The nationally recognized Cyber Security program at Dakota State University (reciprocity tuition rates for MN residents)